1. Field
Example embodiments relate to tracks including magnetic layers and magnetic memory devices including the tracks.
2. Description of the Related Art
Non-volatile information storage devices retain recorded information even when power is cut off. Conventional non-volatile memories include hard disk drives (HDDs), non-volatile random access memories (RAMs), etc.
Conventional HDDs utilize a rotating mechanical device as a storage device. This rotating mechanical device may wear down and fail. As a result, conventional HDDs have relatively low reliability.
A representative example of a non-volatile RAM is a flash memory. Although conventional flash memory devices do not use a rotating mechanical device, flash memory devices have lower reading and writing speeds, shorter lifetimes, and smaller storage capacities than conventional HDDs. Also, conventional flash memory devices have relatively high manufacturing costs.
Another type of information storage device uses motion of a magnetic domain wall of a magnetic material. A magnetic domain is a minute magnetic region in which magnetic moments are arranged in one direction in a ferromagnetic material. A magnetic domain wall is a border region between magnetic domains having different magnetization directions. A magnetic domain wall formed between magnetic domains may be moved by supplying a current to a magnetic track. Using magnetic domain wall motion, it is expected that an information storage device having a relatively large storage capacity may be realized without using a rotating mechanical device. However, to commercialize an apparatus using magnetic domain wall motion, a critical current at which a magnetic domain and a magnetic domain wall are moved needs to be reduced. If the critical current is relatively high, power consumption is relatively high and a magnetic body is heated by Joule heating, which causes various problems. Also, a size of a driving device or a switching device for applying a current also needs to be increased, which hinders increases in the integration degree of magnetic memory devices.